This invention relates to a document processing system for document processing, such as editing and displaying electronic document data, and more particularly, to a document processing system for controlling enablement of document processing for a document or areas within a document.
Document processing systems which process electronic document data, such as wordprocessors and personal computers, are widely used for preparing documents. These document processing systems, require function regulating processing such as editing and displaying prepared document data, in addition to document preparation. For example, a document processing regulation function is required to prevent prepared document data from being edited in error as changes or deletions are made. In addition, these systems require the ability to display documents only for specific users in order to provide security of the document contents.
As a result, document processing systems with edit and display processing regulation functions for document data have been proposed.
A document processing system described in Japanese Patent unexamined Publication No.Hei 2-129760, hereinafter referred to as prior art 1, sets a specific area in a document and inhibits character deletion or change in the area thus preventing edit processing from accidentally being performed.
A document processing system described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No.Hei 3-110666, hereinafter referred to as prior art 2, assigns a password to specific area of a document and prevents character deletion or change in the area unless the password is entered. Therefore, document data in the area can be edited only when the password is entered, thus preventing edit processing from accidentally being performed.
A document processing system described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No.Hei 4-357551, hereinafter referred to as prior art 3, sets a specific area in a document and manages access for document edit or display in the area based on user or user group identifiers. Thus, document data in the area can be edited or displayed only by entering an identifier that is granted this access. This system prevents edit processing from accidentally being performed, or displaying the document to general users.
There is a need for document edit and display regulation that can change in response to a document's use state. In the document processing system of prior art 1, the area set in the document is always fixed to the edit processing inhibition state regardless of the use state, and if the inhibition state is to be changed, setting change processing must be performed each time. Thus, the document processing system cannot deal flexibly with the document's use state.
If different passwords are distributed to users, the document processing system of prior art 2 can to a certain extent regulate edit processing in response to the use state. However, if a password is assigned for each area of a document, the user must enter the password 10 different times to edit document data in 10 different areas. Thus, the user is forced to perform extremely cumbersome operations.
The document processing system of prior art 3 automatically determines whether or not the user has access to a specific area by his or her entered identifier, thus eliminating the need for the user to perform the cumbersome operations described above. However, to set access in each area of a document system during setting access, setting operations must be repeated 30 times for 30 areas. Thus, the system setting operation is extremely cumbersome.
Depending on the use state of a document, a user may want to add a new page or area to the document, where the document or area can be or combine, for example, text and/or graphics. Such new insertion of document pages or areas needs to be regulated like editing or displaying the document or area. The document processing systems of prior arts 1-3 can not cope with this situation.